Bill Tieleman is one of BC's best known communicators, political commentators and strategists.
Bill writes a politics column Tuesdays in 24 Hours newspaper and The Tyee online magazine.
Bill has been Communications Director in the B.C. Premier's Office and at the BC Federation of Labour.
Bill owns West Star Communications, a consulting firm providing strategy and communication services for labour, business, non-profits and government.

Monday, October 01, 2007

NDP Leader Jack Layton says election of new NDP MP Thomas Mulcair in Outremont a sign of political change in Quebec

New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton visited Vancouver Friday with a message for voters - the decades-old debate about Quebec's future in Canada is nearly over.

As proof, Layton brought with him Thomas Mulcair, the newly-elected NDP MP for Outremont. Mulcair, a popular former provincial Liberal cabinet minister, easily won a byelection with a 20 per cent margin in one of the federal Liberals' safest seats.

And Mulcair says that's just the start for the NDP in Quebec as voters shift more to left-right issues, leaving the pro-independence Bloc Quebecois isolated.

"People in Quebec are fed up with the old divide, based on whether you were a sovereignist or a federalist," Mulcair said in an interview with 24 hours.

"The Bloc Quebecois is past its due date."

Layton said impressive potential candidates for the NDP in Quebec are calling since Mulcair's victory.

"We're going to have a very, very interesting team in Quebec. People will be excited," Layton said. "Tom can help us bridge some of the divides in this country."

And Layton said it is the Liberals who are having problems finding good candidates in Quebec, noting that former Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau dropped out of politics last week after running for the Liberals in 2006 because of leader Stephane Dion's ambivalence about his candidacy. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT PUBLISHED IN 24 HOURSLayton talked about what has changed since 1990 for the NDP in Quebec, when consumer advocate and Lemon-Aid car buying guide author Phil Edmonston became the first MP elected by the party in Quebec in a by-election."We've got a building job to do but unlike with Phil Edmonston where Quebec politics when through a sea change with the creation of the Bloc Quebecois, and frankly, the party did not use Phil in an important role," Layton said.Mulcair has immediately become co-deputy leader with Vancouver East MP Libby Davies and will also be finance critic in Ottawa.Layton pointed out that the NDP won about 300,000 votes in Quebec in the 2006 federal election and "if we had proportional representation, we'd already have six or seven seats there."Both Layton and Mulcair dismissed concern about the federal Green Party eating away at potential NDP votes."The Greens were under two percent in the byelections in Quebec," Mulcair said, adding that the deal between Green leader Elizabeth May and Liberal leader Stephane Dion to not run candidates in each others home riding was "a big mistake."Layton said candidates and policies will make the difference for voters."With strong candidates people will come to us - we're not a single issue party," he said.Mulcair said a key to his Outremont win was pulling support away from both the Bloc and the Liberals."The Bloc Quebecois vote went from 30 to 10 percent. The NDP wooed away a lot of the ethnic community that had traditionally been Liberal," Mulcair said.

4 comments:

I think the Bloc's demise was something missed by mainstream media - as they fixated on the slumping liberals. The Bloc did terrible in all the by-elections (even the one they hung on to). That's great news for the NDP and even better news for Canada.

The Green showing in the by-election was disappointing. I was hoping they would do better - especially considering it was a by-election. In Outremont, most Greens would have supported Mulcair, but why were the Greens so low in the other 2 ridings?

Jack Layton has always been popular in Quebec on a personal level. It's great to see that this is now translating into practical results at the polls. A boost in Quebec will inevitably mean more traction for the Federal NDP in Ontario as well, and to a smaller degree in the West and Atlantic.

Bill, where's your comment on Carole's "dumb & dumber" position on Gateway. Guess she is trying to wipe out the party in the suburbs. Elections are won there, Glen understood that. Also, what a great place to roll out such a foolish position.

anonymous is right. Left to stand without a fully convincing withdrawal and reversal, the "dumb and dumber" outburst costs the 2009 provincial general election at an absolute minimum, and probably 2013 and 2017 as well.

Kevin Falcon is entitled to gloat over this. Once again, the NDP brains trust has been suckered into another bloody suicide run by the fake enviro groups who are in fact controlled by, ... wait for it, ... you guessed it, ... the Liberals.

Bill Tieleman and Senator Larry Campbell, former Vancouver mayor

Jim Sinclair, Cindy Oliver, Ken Georgetti and Bill Tieleman

Bill Tieleman's coverage of the Basi-Virk/BC Legislature Raid Case praised by other journalists:

"This outstanding piece of journalism, in The Tyee, is the work of a journalist who has been deeply involved with this issue from the start and this article should be passed on as far and wide as possible."

"Bill Tieleman from 24 hours . . . . If you want to know about this trial and about this case, you have to read his blog – I mean, that’s just all there is to it – it’s required reading if you want to understand the BC Legislature Raid situation."

- Mike Smyth, columnist, The Province

"The Basi-Virk case....you’ve probably sat through more of these hearings and gone through more of the files and written about it than any other journalist in the province."

- Bill Good, host, The Bill Good Show, CKNW/Corus Radio Network

"Tieleman ...has done a first-rate job covering the trial."

- Paul Willcocks, columnist, the Victoria Times-Colonist

"Tieleman, who marries a considerable journalistic talent with one of the smartest political minds in the province, has been writing more web-exclusive material. And his coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is a must-read -- whether you're an insider or an outsider."

"24 Hours, the Vancouver paper that has been leading the coverage, as well as the hints of conspiracy in B.C."

- Norman Spector, columnist, Globe and Mail

"Although the major media in this circumstance has been giving the case significant coverage, Tieleman's reports on his blog have been outstanding.

The entire cut and thrust of legal wrangling and arguments has been covered and is accompanied by considered analysis.....His blog site coverage of the Basi-Virk trial is the most in depth treatment of one of British Columbia's biggest political scandals."

- Bill Bell, columnist, The North Shore News

"Mr. Tieleman has published online dispatches which, freed from the limitations of newsprint space or broadcast time, can run at length. They also remain available for those select readers who become obsessed with a case also known as Railgate.....

In another bizarre twist to a story with no shortage of them, Mr. Tieleman went to work one day in December only to discover his office had been ransacked. Bookcases had been tipped over and papers strewn, but nothing was missing.

To top it off, a press kit for the self-published novel The Raid, written by a retired military officer in Metchosin and featuring on its cover a photograph from the 2003 police raid, had been left in a conspicuous place."

- Tom Hawthorn, columnist, The Globe and Mail

Nobody has followed the Basi-Virk affair over its past five years with greater diligence than local journalist, Bill Tieleman....Tieleman deserves our thanks, a fistful of journalism awards and some merit citation for citizenship.